Ideal Friend
by aiyumi
Summary: When she was little, Touko had this imaginary friend who talked to her in dreams. However, as she grew up and got new responsibilities, she eventually forgot about him. Ten years later, in moments of despair, Touko misses him, and wishes that he was real. Little she knew, that in fact, he could be.
1. Touko

A/n: yes, a new story. And yes, I know I should be updating my other fic instead of starting a new one, but this idea refused to go away...

Actually, I intended this to be a oneshot, but it was becoming a bit big for just one chapter, so I split it in three (yep, like the Unova dragon! :P), also meaning that I can publish the already finished parts, without the need to finish the whole story to release everything at once (as would be the case with an oneshot).

So, the usual "gotchas": I'm bad with descriptions, and English isn't my primary language, so there may (and will) be grammar errors, blah blah blah.

Now, here's the first part!

* * *

Pokemon Black and White: Ideal Friend

Written by Aiyumi

Disclaimer: Pocket Monsters/Pokemon, as well as any other trademark that may be referenced in this fan fiction, are properties of their respective owners. I am just a fan and I do not have any relations to said people/companies.

Chapter 1: Touko

"Touko, time to go to bed," her mother said.

"No!" Four year old Touko wined. "I want to play more."

"It's getting late. We can play more tomorrow."

"No!" The little girl stomped on the ground. "I don't want to go! If I sleep, the monsters come."

Her mother sighed. "I'll tell you a happy story, about a place where monsters don't come."

"... Okay." Touko reluctantly gave in and followed her mother to the bedroom.

"Once upon a time," the woman began when Touko was already laying on the bed. "there was a very beautiful place. It was full of flowers and the sky was always blue. Everyone lived there happily and..."

X:X:X:X:X

Touko quickly fell asleep and began dreaming about that place from her mother's story. There were the flowers and the blue sky, but something was wrong. She was alone. Where was everyone? They should be living there happily, right? Could it be that they were inside to get warm? Or maybe they were... Hiding? But from what? Answering to her mental question, the sky that was supposed to be always blue darkened, and a ferocious roar was heard. She knew it. It was the monster, like the other times. Monsters supposedly couldn't reach that place, but it was there. Touko ran as fast as she could. She had never been caught before, but unfortunately, this time the pursuer was faster than usual. She was getting tired. Her legs threatened to give way at any moment. The creature was closing the distance, and Touko didn't know what to do.

"Help! Someone... Help!" She shouted, though there was no one there. "Aaaaah!" She screamed as she tripped and fell on her face.

Her legs didn't obey. She couldn't move. Unable to stand up to continue running, Touko closed her eyes and waited for the end. She heard something like a thunder from behind her, and the sound of the creature chasing her was gone. Then, everything happened really quickly. The ground disappeared from beneath her and she felt as though falling. When she opened her eyes, she was floating in a seemingly endless space, and a thick fog prevented her from seeing anything. "Aaaaah!" Touko began crying as the change in environment finally registered. She was scared. What if the monster was still there, hiding in the fog, ready to attack her at any moment?

"There is no need to cry. Everything is fine now." A deep, gentle masculine voice said.

"The... Mons-ter...?" Touko asked between sobs.

"It is gone."

"You... Saved me?"

"Yes."

"Um... Th-thank you..."

"You are welcome."

Touko breathed deeply, staying quiet until she calmed down and stopped crying. She didn't understand what was going on, but despite the weirdness of the place, she felt safer. It was still fogy and nothing could be seen. "Um... Hello? Are you still here?"

"Yes, I am." The voice answered.

Fear was replaced by curiosity, and she decided to try learning more about her savior. "Are you from here?"

"No."

"Then what are you doing here?"

"I was asked to protect you."

"Really?" Touko beamed. "You're going to get the monsters away?"

"Yes. I won't let anyone bad touch you."

"Oh! That's great!" Touko would continue with her questions, but she was interrupted by her mother calling her name.

"Touko! Touko, it's morning!"

"Time for you to wake up." The deep voice said.

"But... I don't want to go! I want to talk more!"

"If you sleep early today, we can continue talking."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

"Okay!" Touko happily accepted it without thinking twice. With that, she allowed herself to wake up.

X:X:X:X:X

* * *

That day, Touko eagerly awaited for the night's arrival. When told to go to bed, she complied without hesitation, to her mother's surprise.

X:X:X:X:X

Half awake in his hibernating state, Zekrom was deep in thought. He had heard that Reshiram couldn't get to the other hero yet, because the boy was blinded by the lies from those humans around him. Zekrom was worried about the possibility of him also not being able to reach his hero, when said person began having a nightmare. She desperately asked for help, for the first time giving him an opening to reach through to her mind. She seemed to warm up to him quickly too, which was a victory. And now, as promised, there she was, willingly giving him access to make a mind connection to her, in that fogy space between dreams and reality.

"Hi! I came!" The girl announced. "... Hello?" She asked as there was no response.

He was pulled out from his thoughts. "Oh, hello. I am here."

"Yeaaah! You kept the promise. I was starting to think that you were going to leave me."

"I was waiting for you. I was distracted, sorry."

"It's okay!" She resumed the talk from the previous night, trying to know more about him. "So, you still didn't tell me where you're from."

"I am from Unova." He simply said.

"Oh. I live in Unova too! I live with my Mom and my Dad. You?"

"I am alone for most of the time."

"What about your friends? I have two very nice friends, Bel and Cheren. They live near me. We meet every day, they always play with me and we have a lot of fun together! Do you have friends?"

"Just a few." Zekrom had become friends with the other heroes, a few humans and pokemon, but none of them was there anymore. Besides them, there were only the other legendary pokemon, who also lived for centuries.

"Why?" Touko widened her eyes as if that was absurd. "You're so nice, you should have more friends."

"I had, but most of them are gone."

"Gone to where?" She didn't understand. "Don't they visit you?"

He didn't feel like explaining. "They are gone... To never come back." There was a hint of sadness in his tone.

"That's sad." Touko didn't really understand yet, but she wished she could comfort him somehow. "Um, can I be your friend?"

"Of course."

"Yeah! Then, I'll come every day so you don't be so alone."

"Hmm, thank you." He seemed unsure on what to say.

She insisted on asking about his personal life. "And your family?"

He thought carefully before answering. "I have two brothers."

"That's cool! It'd be nice if I could have one. I wanted a twin brother, to be just like the hero from the legends!"

"You don't need one."

"Why?"

"You already have your two good friends, don't you? It doesn't make much difference." With also the hidden meaning that she didn't need a brother to become a hero (and to fight against) like in the legends.

"Three!" She said as if correcting him.

"Uh?"

"Three friends. You said 'two'!"

"That is what you told me."

"Yeah. But it's three, because I have you now."

"Oh." Zekrom was surprised. "... Thank you."

That was met with more wining. "You already thanked me!"

"Uh? ... Yes. And I am doing it again." He already saw another "why?" coming. "Because you are a very kind and caring person, like... The hero from the legends. So thank you once more, my little heroine."

Touko closed her eyes and smiled, very happy to hear that. Then, she realized something. "Oh yeah, I think I didn't say this yet. My name's Touko. What's your name?"

"I don't really have one."

"You don't? Then what can I call you?"

"You can call me by whatever you want." He just hoped that she wouldn't choose anything silly or offensive.

"Hmm..." She thought for a bit. "Can I call you 'Mike'? I saw a movie with Mom the other day, and there was a guy called Mike. He was strong and had a nice voice, like you!"

"It is fine."

"Okay! It's Mike, then!" Touko smiled.

"Touko!" Speaking of her mother, there came her voice again.

"Time for you to leave."

"Aww..." Touko made a sad face. "Can we talk again tonight?"

"Yes, we can. But just promise me something."

"What's it?"

"Don't tell anyone about me."

"No one? Not even Cheren and Bel?"

"No, not even them."

"Why not?" She protested. "I wanted them to meet you, and I wanted you to have more friends too..."

Zekrom sighed, thinking on how to say the complicated details in easy words. "Because this place is special, and only you can enter. If you tell them about me and they can't get here to meet me, they will say that you were lying. You don't want that, do you?"

"Ah... No," she said, resigned.

"So, do you promise?"

"Promise." Touko finally nodded. "Do you promise to wait for me tonight?"

"Yes." Apparently, ending their talk with promises would become a every night routine.

"Yay! ... And, um, thanks, you really protected me from the monsters. They didn't come, it was great!"

"Touko... Touko!" Her mother's voice called insistently.

"I have to go now. So, bye, Mike."

"See you later, my little heroine."

X:X:X:X:X

* * *

Months went by, and Touko never again had nightmares. She kept her promises and he kept his, always waiting for her. Their talks were nice, but there was something that disturbed her. The place was always so fogy and weird. She was unable to see anything. She couldn't see him. She could never know if he was in front of her or at her side. There was only his voice and nothing else. She felt as though she was floating. There was no ground, no walls, nothing to touch.

"I don't like that I can't see anything in this place. I want to see you," she said one night.

He seemed thoughtful. "Touko, would you still want to be my friend even if I were not like you expect?"

"Huh? What do you mean? Like... You're worried that I won't like you anymore if you're ugly or something?"

"... Something like that."

"Ah!" She threw her arms to the sides. "Of course I'll still like you, silly. You're nice and strong and awesome. Even if you don't look like how I imagine... Well, if you're much different, I might be scared for a bit, but yeah, you're you, and that won't change."

"Thank you, my little heroine. I hope you are right."

Touko smiled. She wanted to be like the heroes from the legends, so she liked when he called her that. "Why do you thank me so much? You're the one protecting me, I'm doing nothing for you."

"Yes, you are. You are keeping me company, just like you promised, and that is very important to me."

"Um, okay, if you say so... But I still want to see you! Is that why you don't appear to me? Because you're worried that I won't like you if I see you?"

"Not really. It is something else. I can't show myself to you just yet, but don't worry. You will be able to see me one day."

"When?"

"One day." He repeated.

"Mike..." She wined.

"Sorry. I don't have a date, as it depends on many things."

"One day... Many things...!" She snapped. "I want a better answer! I want to know when, and what things..."

"I also don't know, Touko. It depends on things which I don't have control of... Like what will happen from now on. We can only wait until the time comes." He noticed that the girl was starting to cry, but he couldn't do anything to do what she wanted. "My little heroine, I am sorry. I can't do anything about it now, but just be patient and it will happen. We will meet, and it won't be in dreams. You will be awake."

"... Re-ally?" She asked, sobbing.

"Yes, I promise." It was one more to their collection. "I never broke a promise with you, did I?"

"... No."

"Then, trust me like you always did, and everything will be fine."

"Hum." She nodded, finally willing to accept that.

X:X:X:X:X

* * *

Everything was going well. But on the following year, Touko's father died in an accident. The children in town, including herself, didn't really understand what had happened. The adults cried like she had never seen before. Her friends Cheren and Bel seemed as clueless as herself, and her mother was unable to comfort her either, also having a hard time. Some days passed. Listening to a few more conversations, Touko finally had the realization: her father would **never** come back. After getting to that conclusion, she lost her will to play, to eat, or to do anything. She only wished that things could have happened differently, and cried for the rest of the day.

X:X:X:X:X

"Why, Mike? Why does it have to be like this?" She asked, fighting through her tears after telling him what was going on.

"That is the way it is. Unfortunately, we can do nothing about it." His tone was sad and resigned.

Then, it hit her. His words from another conversation, from when she had asked him about his friends, replayed in her mind. "They are gone... To never come back."

"Was... Was that what happened to your friends?"

"Yes."

She felt sad for him, more than before when she only knew he was mostly alone. That added to the sadness from her own situation. They shared a moment of silence, which she broke after having run out of tears. "What now, Mike? I don't know what to do."

"It is part of the cycle of life and death. It happens and we can do nothing about it. We never know when it will happen, so all we can do is to make most of each moment. I know it is hard, but you have to continue your life, and make the most of it. Of course, you should do what is your responsibility, like taking care of your health. But have fun when you can, be yourself, and try to do things that make you happy. Your father wouldn't like to see you sad, so you should be happy for him as well."

"... What do you like to do that makes you happy?" She asked.

"Hmm. I like to observe places from high up, for example. It is interesting how many details can be seen from different angles."

"From high up, like up on a tree?"

"Yes." Only, he wouldn't tell her that he did it while flying.

"Cool! I always wanted to do that, but Mom doesn't let me climb trees."

"I can show you, when we meet outside of your dream."

"Hum!" She nodded, the change of topic managing to cheer her up.

X:X:X:X:X

* * *

A few months after that, Touko began attending school. At first, she kept talking to Mike, telling him how school was and what she learned there. She usually waited anxiously for the night to arrive so that she could talk to him again, however, her everyday life gradually became very agitated, with school, a few new friends and other activities taking all of her time and energy. There were days when Touko was so exhausted that she forgot about going to talk to Mike, falling asleep instantly as soon as she hit the bed. These were nights of dreamless sleep. With many more things to worry about, sometimes she also didn't think about him during the day, until, eventually, she forgot about him completely.


	2. N

A/n: thank you to everyone who read/reviewed/followed/favorited! I got a review just a few minutes after posting the first chapter. I was shocked :D. Just in two weeks (as far as I remember), this received more views and followers than what my other story got during the same period. Thank you! ^_^

I'm currently stuck in the decisive moments of chapter 3. It'll take some time until the final part comes out. Meanwhile, here's chapter 2!

* * *

Pokemon Black and White: Ideal Friend

Written by Aiyumi

Disclaimer: Pocket Monsters/Pokemon, as well as any other trademark that may be referenced in this fan fiction, are properties of their respective owners. I am just a fan and I do not have any relations to said people/companies.

Chapter 2: N

Nearly ten years had passed, and it was the day Touko had waited for so long. The day when she would finally receive her starter pokemon and leave on a journey. Professor Juniper had dropped by her house and left the three poke balls there, and now, Touko and her two friends Cheren and Bel were faced with the difficult decision of which starter to pick.

"Who first?" Bel asked, looking at the other two.

"Touko should pick first, since it's her house." Cheren suggested.

"Um, okay..." Touko stepped forward, looking at the three poke balls. Snivy, Tepig and Oshawott. Which one to choose, was the question. Then, she remembered.

X:X:X:X:X

"When I grow up, I want to be a pokemon trainer!" She had said one night. "Mom told me that before the journey, I have to choose one of three pokemon: Snivy, Tepig and Oshawott. I don't know which one to choose. Mike, what do you think? do you know anything about these pokemon?"

"Yes. Snivies are grass typed, usually fast and defensive, but not very capable offensively. Unfortunately, they also have many weaknesses, mostly to pokemon types that are very common throughout all Unova. Tepigs are fire typed and are the opposite, having more strength, less speed and defenses. However, they get a fighting type when they evolve, which brings a few type advantages, but also a few more weaknesses. Oshawotts are water typed and can become quite capable offensively, though not as much as the Tepig line, and they tend to be a bit better than it defensively. They don't get any new type after evolving, and have the less weaknesses among the three."

"Oh..." Touko was amazed with the explanation.

"In summary, The Snivy line focuses more on defense and evasion, the Tepig line is all about brute force, and the Oshawott line lies more or less in the middle between those two extremes."

"Hmm. Okay. But you still didn't tell me which one I should choose!"

"I already gave you the explanation. Now, you have to consider which one of the options is better for you."

"But Mike..."

"This choice is yours to make. I can't do it for you. Think carefully, you still have time until then."

X:X:X:X:X

"Touko?" Bel asked, pulling her from her thoughts.

"Uh, sorry." Touko smiled sheepishly at her two friends, who were shuffling and looking around impatiently. She concentrated on the poke balls. With a defensive pokemon, she would need to be too tactical for working around the lack of power and the many common weaknesses, and Touko figured she didn't have the brains for that. Cheren was the tactical one, not her. No, just defense wasn't going to work for her. So, Snivy was out of the question. Too much force wasn't very appealing either, plus the other type Tepig would get after evolving would just make things more complicated. So... "Balance..." She whispered, grasping Oshawott's poke ball. "Yeah, it's decided. I choose Oshawott!"

* * *

Choosing their starter pokemon, the three friends had a quick battle, then headed to Professor Juniper's lab, where they were handed Pokedexes.

"With these, you can record and analyze information about the pokemon you encounter," the professor said. "Speaking of which, do you want to give nicknames to your new pokemon?"

They nodded.

Touko looked at the Oshawott, who was out of the ball. "Hmm, I'll call you... Libra. It's the name of a constellation that symbolizes balance. Is that okay?" The pokemon bounced happily, so she took that as a "yes".

"To register the nickname and view other information associated to your trainer ID, you have to recall the pokemon and scan the ball with the Pokedex." The professor explained.

Touko input the nickname and scanned the poke ball as instructed. It showed that her pokemon was a female Oshawott, now nicknamed Libra.

* * *

On that same day, they left on their adventure and arrived at Accumula Town. There, they witnessed a speech from Ghetsis, one of the higher-ups of a group called Team Plasma. He said that trainers were making pokemon suffer by enslaving them and making them captive inside poke balls, and that the only way to rectify that was to set all pokemon free. The speech ended, and Touko didn't know what to make of it. "What do you think?" She looked at her two childhood friends.

Bel didn't answer. Soon both girls had turned to Cheren in hopes of getting an insightful answer, since he was the most knowledgeable person in their group.

"That's a lot of nonsense," He said. "I heard that there're some unscrupulous people who catch pokemon only to 'collect' them, as if they were mere objects. But that's just a minority, like in the black market or something. It can't be generalized like that. I believe that most trainers really take good care of their pokemon. The League Champions, for instance!" Bringing up the subject of the Champions, he was suddenly very enthusiastic. "They give the best example of how pokemon should be treated, maintaining balance between making them strong and healthy. That's why Mister Alder constantly appears on television giving advice on the best practices for taking care of them! His pokemon don't seem to be acting forced either, so they must like it. I know I still have much to learn, but I'll do everything I can to always take proper care of my pokemon, which I'm sure is one of the secrets to become a Champion!"

Touko smiled. It made sense. Aside from the Champions part, it seemed like something... Mike would say. Maybe, that Plasma group was just making noise and there was nothing to worry about. But in the back of her mind, there was something that seemed right about that speech, and Touko felt she should be worrying...

It was getting dark. Bel and Cheren went to the Pokemon Center while Touko stayed behind. She sighed, looking at the Oshawott in her arms. "I'm sorry. I was too selfish. I was so excited about leaving on a journey, and I didn't even ask if you wanted to come with me... If you don't want to come... If it only makes you suffer... Then I'll let you go."

The Oshawott widened her eyes, quickly shaking her head and speaking frantically. How Touko wished she could understand what the pokemon was saying...

"That... That Oshawott... No, it can't be! I never heard a pokemon say something like that!"

"Uh, what?" Touko turned in the voice's direction. A tall teenager with long green hair was standing at some distance from her, seeming bewildered and talking alone. "E-excuse me? Wh-what did you just say?"

"Uh?" He was embarrassed noticing that he was being watched. "... Th-this pokemon was saying..."

"Saying...?" Touko looked curiously at him.

"Oh. So you can't understand them either." He seemed a bit disappointed. "Since she looked so happy, I thought..."

"Wait, do you mean..." It was her turn to be bewildered. "You're saying that you can understand pokemon words?"

"Yes."

It was hard to believe, but if that was true... "What did she say?"

"She said that she also wanted to travel around and is happy that you chose her, and that you gave her a nickname." He spoke. Even the Oshawott seemed amazed that he had understood her and began talking more. "Hmm, she says that your name is Touko and her nickname is Libra." The pokemon tripped on a word and he decided to help. "Hm? Do you mean 'constellation'? ... Ah, I see..." He looked back at Touko. "She says you nicknamed her after a constellation that symbolizes balance."

Since they arrived there, no one had mentioned her name nor the pokemon's nickname (much less the constellation), so it was proof that he really could understand pokemon. So maybe, by talking to a lot of pokemon, they could prove or disprove what Team Plasma was saying. "Oh, that's great! Really cool. I never heard that there were people who could do that! Um, okay, you already know my name, but I don't know yours."

"My name's N."

"N? Like the letter?"

"Yes."

She found it strange. "But just a letter?"

"Well, actually it's just the first letter, but, um... Some people told me that my name's a bit... Unusual, so..."

"Ah, okay." From the way he was trying to justify himself, it had to be very awkward for him to talk about his name. "I understand. Nice to meet you, N."

Then, the poke ball that N was carrying opened on its own. A Purrloin came out of it without being called, surprising him. "Ah! What? Oh... Alright."

"What's it?" Touko asked curiously.

N had his eyes wide. "He... Wants a battle."

"Oh... Okay." Touko fidgeted nervously. "Hahaha... Um, not counting the small battle with my two best friends, this is my first battle against another trainer."

N seemed equally nervous. "Mine too..."

"Really? Then let's make it memorable! Libra, Water Gun!"

"Ah! Wait! Purrloin...!" N was caught unprepared and didn't have time to give a command. His pokemon was sent flying a short distance. "Sorry! Purrloin, are you alright?" The pokemon nodded and the fight continued. "Use Fury Swipes!"

"Water Gun!" Touko repeated.

Libra didn't have time to dodge and was scratched multiple times. The attack was vicious and fast but didn't cause much damage. The close distance allowed Libra to hit the opponent strong and squarely, causing a critical hit.

"Good! Now, Tackle!" Touko commanded.

The Purrloin didn't have time to recover from the Water Gun. The Tackle sent him rolling on the ground, and he was disorientated by the end of it.

"Well... I think this is enough..." N called it the end of the battle. He gently took his pokemon in his arms and sighed, disappointed because of his loss.

"Yeah! We did it! We won! Our first battle!" Touko embraced the Oshawott who had a very happy expression on her face, then both laughed together.

But N was too distracted with his thoughts to pay attention to the exchange.

"Hey, come on!" Touko was signaling him to follow her.

"Uh?" N was pulled out from his thoughts.

"The Pokemon Center is in that direction!" She pointed. "Our pokemon need to be looked after, right?"

"Ah... Right." He followed awkwardly.

* * *

In the Pokemon Center, they waited for their pokemon to be healed.

"N, you look so down. Is it because of the battle?" Touko had been very excited to win her first (outsider) trainer battle, but she was feeling very bad seeing him like that. "I'm... Sorry."

He sighed. "I lost. I only made Purrloin suffer for nothing..."

"It'll be okay. Purrloin will be fine. And you... Well, It was just the first battle. You'll get better at it."

After they got their pokemon back, N talked to the Purrloin, and that only served to increase his confusion.

"What did he say?" Touko asked.

"He said that... It was the greatest battle he ever had, and that he wants to become strong and have many more of these battles... I don't understand. I thought..."

She cut him off. "See? I told you that it'd be fine."

The trainers talked a bit more.

"So, N, after leaving this town, where are you going next?"

"Striaton."

"Oh! Is that because of the gym there? Are you going to challenge the gyms too?" Touko was suddenly very excited.

"Uh... Yes, I intend to."

"Great! Me too! Then, maybe we'll meet again!"

"... Maybe..."

* * *

And they did. Touko met N a few times throughout the following months, she quickly noticing how deeply he cared about pokemon. They agreed on many things, except on the relation between pokemon and trainers. That subject frequently started arguments between them, and soon their meetings weren't so nice as Touko had hoped. It was strange. He should know better since he could understand pokemon words, but no, it was as if he believed in those speeches of Team Plasma. After also meeting said group many times and, in every one of them, seeing their members do the very opposite of what they said was right, Touko knew that their ideas were far from the truth. However, things really went downhill when she met N in Nimbasa City and they rode the amusement park's ferry's wheel. The subject of battles popped up, he came again with that talk about pokemon suffering in the hands of trainers, and Touko couldn't take it anymore.

"It's as if you believed that nonsense from Team Plasma!"

He seemed offended. "That's not nonsense. And yes, I do believe in Team Plasma."

"Why? ..." She gave him a hard stare.

"Because... Actually, I..." He breathed deeply, speaking seriously and as firmly as he could. "I am the king of Team Plasma, and those are **my** views."

"What? You..." Then it clicked. The "king" that she heard many grunts mention. The person they said wanted to make a better world for pokemon. But was that really him? "**You**'re the one who formed Team Plasma?" Touko asked incredulously.

"Yes."

"No way!" It was hard to believe. Despite their different views on a few things, Touko was sure that he was a good person, and she couldn't imagine him differently, nor thought he had the qualities to lead a group, much less a huge (and evil) one like Team Plasma. "So... Does it mean that the horrible things those grunts did... Those were **your** orders too?"

"Horrible things?"

"Yeah! They kicked a Munna, trying to force her to make Dream Mist. They say that pokemon shouldn't be used for battles, but they still do that, and say horrible words to the pokemon when they lose. And they order the pokemon to attack people too!" Touko spoke angrily.

"What? No..." N was shocked. His voice almost didn't come out. Breathing deeply, he tried to calm down. "No. I would never order them to do things like that!"

N could be lying, but for some reason, Touko didn't want to believe he was and felt a bit relieved when he said he wasn't behind that. She calmed down a little, but her seriousness remained.

He continued, thinking it was just a misunderstanding. " Where did you hear that from? Whoever told you that was just spreading bad rumors..."

"No, I didn't hear it. I saw it, N. I met a lot of them in the last months, and they did those things right in front of my eyes! It wasn't just one or two. A lot of them... Most of the ones I met did things like that!"

He searched her expression, but couldn't find anything indicating that she was lying. His shock returned. "No... It can't be! That's completely against the rules! How come I didn't know of this sooner?" He buried his face in his hands.

"You... Didn't know?"

"No."

"You really had no idea?"

He shook his head.

"So you don't have any control of what your group's doing? What kind of a leader are you! ?" Touko exploded.

N was taken aback for a bit. "But... But they swore they would abide by the rules!" He said innocently. After a deep breath, he spoke again. "Touko, thank you for reporting this to me. I'll talk to the Sages and make sure the infractors are punished. I need the general public's support to create a perfect world for pokemon, and can't allow these occurrences that taint Team Plasma's image. Violence only brings more violence and cause resistance. In order to have my ideas heard, I need to earn the respect from Unova's citizens. And for that..." N's expression became serious and he raised his voice. "I'll conquer the Pokemon League, and surpass the Champion! What a better way to gain respect than becoming the region's Champion? By doing this, everyone will hear my ideas, and pokemon will finally be freed from humans! Do you follow my logic?"

At that moment, the ferry's wheel ride came to an end. Back to the ground, Touko abruptly spun to face N, with confidence showing in her eyes. Her seriousness and her tone nearly matched his when she finally answered his question. "I see what you mean... But no, I don't agree. This is wrong. You can't just separate humans from pokemon like that!" She took a poke ball. "N, I'll stop you!"

He sighed, also taking a ball. "I didn't want to do this, but if you'll stand on my way, I have no other choice."

* * *

The battle was quick. Maybe it was because N disliked making his pokemon fight and didn't train much, but Touko won easily, increasing the confidence that she could stop him.

N had a sad expression while he put his poke balls away. Looking seriously at Touko again, he spoke. "I may have lost now, but it's not over yet. I'll awaken Reshiram, the legendary dragon pokemon of truth! I'll become a hero like those in legends, and show everyone the truth of trainers' cruelty and pokemon's suffering. Then, I'll surpass the Champion, and with the legendary pokemon by my side, everyone in Unova will respect me and follow my ideas!" Not waiting for her to comment, N turned and walked away in a brisk pace.

Touko just stood there in silence, deep in thought. Hearing that N was Plasma's king was already hard to believe. But legendary pokemon, really? Those were just myths. It was absurd. If not for N's serious face, Touko would be sure that he was joking. Maybe she acted so confident only because of the ridiculousness of what he was saying, otherwise she probably wouldn't have been able to stand on his way with such courage. And now that the hot-headed moment was over, she didn't know what to do. Touko sighed, taking one last glance at the ferry's wheel. She was so caught up in that argument with N that she missed the unique opportunity of enjoying the view from above...

"... I like to observe places from high up, for example. It is interesting how many details can be seen from different angles."

"... Mike..." Touko smiled, remembering the invisible imaginary friend from her childhood. She had forgotten about him for a long time, but since starting her journey, she was being reminded of him too much. It was silly, but she suddenly wanted to talk to him again. Touko gave one more sigh, beginning to walk back to the Pokemon Center. It was ridiculous too. She was so confused that she had to rely on imaginary friends now. That made her think she was as crazy as N... Yes, that was it. If N believed in legendary pokemon, why couldn't she believe in imaginary friends? Touko decided to at least try. The worst that could happen was not dreaming about him, right?

That night, Touko slept while concentrating on going to talk to him, like in her childhood.

X:X:X:X:X

To her surprise, Touko found herself in that foggy space that she remembered from childhood. But would he still be there?

"Um, Mike?" She called tentatively. "Are you here?"

No answer.

"Mike!" She tried again. "It's me, Touko!"

She waited, but there was only silence. Touko started to panic. She had thought the worst that could happen was not dreaming about him, but actually getting there and having him not answer her was even worse. Maybe he simply wasn't there. But what if he was and was ignoring her? With that thought, her heart tightened.

"Mike, why don't you answer me? Is it because I'm not a child anymore? Or... Are you angry because I didn't come to see you for a long time? Yeah, I promised I'd visit you every day... And I broke my promise... I'm sorry..."

His words from one of their talks rang in her head. "Touko, would you still want to be my friend even if I were not like you expect?" It was almost as if he was asking "Even if you knew that I was an illusion, and that you would suffer when you woke up from it?"

Touko shivered. In her childhood, she had believed that she had found someone very gentle, wise and strong, who protected her from nightmares and became one of her best friends. Back then, she had believed that he was real. But was he really not how she had expected? Was Mike really only an illusion, just part of her imagination? It was confusing. No matter how hard she thought about it, he couldn't be a creation of her mind. There was no way that she would be able to create his personality and his wise words based on things from inside her head. He told her things that she didn't know, and showed experiences that she didn't have. It was crazy, but Touko still wanted to believe he was real.

"Mike, say something, please. I want to talk to you like before. I want to continue being your friend... Can I?"

The only answer was more silence, and she cried.


End file.
